Betsy DeVos' Legacy | Product Pivots During COVID | Ransomware Attacks

A Newsletter for Education Business Leaders [ ] [Advertisement](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) [edBiz Update | The news roundup for education business leaders] Powered by [EDWEEK Market Brief](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) [EDWEEK MARKET BRIEF](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r)  | [EDUCATION WEEK](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r)  | [ADVERTISE](mailto:mbakley@educationweek.org?subject=Advertising%20Opportunities)  | [JOBS](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) [ ] [ ] [ ] Sean Cavanagh Managing Editor, EdWeek Market Brief Hello, edBiz Readers: As dependent as schools and colleges have become on education technology during COVID, recent weeks have offered a bracing reminder of all of the vulnerabilities that dependency brings. The Baltimore County school system was just the latest K-12 system to get hit by a [ransomware cyberattack](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r), and [higher education hasn't been insulated from online bad actors, either](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r). Expect more bumps as schools and colleges toggle between remote and in-person in the months ahead. Other news featured in this issue of edBiz Update: • On many college campuses, there's still little clarity—and much concern—about how the spring 2021 semester will play out. Faculty on the [University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) campus, and many other institutions, are making their anxieties known. • VCs continue to place their bets on companies they believe will deliver the goods to help schools and colleges manage COVID and emerge stronger from it. December's deals include [IntellectoKids raising $3 million](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r), and some big acquisitions, notably private-equity firm [Vista Equity Partners Buying Pluralsight](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r), a provider of online courses, including those for education. It was a $3.5 billion deal. • For companies across the market, the impact of the coronavirus has meant having to pivot, in [recasting products, strategy, and their customer service to schools and colleges](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r). We highlight a few examples of how they're changing direction in a new story in EdWeek Market Brief. Also, don't miss my colleague Andrew Ujifusa's insightful look back at the [Betsy DeVos era](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) at the U.S. Department of Education, and what's next. Check back with edBiz Update for more news and analysis of all that schools, colleges, and companies are coping with during this bizarre era. [ ] Sean Cavanagh Managing Editor, EdWeek Market Brief Suggestions/Feedback: Contact Sean Cavanagh at scavanagh@epe.org. Sponsorship/Business Opportunities: Contact Maurice Bakley at mbakley@epe.org. [ ] [ ] K12 [ ] [ ] [ ] [Advertisement](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) What Do Districts Need From Social-Emotional Learning Products and Programs During COVID-19? In this webinar, EdWeek Market Brief will go through the results of a new, nationally representative survey of district and school administrators about what they want from products and programs designed to address social-emotional learning. [ View Webinar](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r). [ ] [alt]   [How Three Different Education Companies Have Pivoted During COVID (EdWeek Market Brief)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) EdWeek Market Brief explores how education businesses changed direction in response to fast-evolving district needs during the coronavirus. [alt]   [Remote School as the Gateway Drug to Social Media (The New York Times)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) For parents who did not expect their children to have devices or use social media so young, virtual learning was an unexpected push into the digital deep end. [alt]   [How Betsy DeVos Bent the Nation's Education Debate in Four Tense Years (Education Week)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) President Donald Trump's education secretary decried big government in schools, but wound up keeping her agency at center stage. [alt]   [New York Regents Adopt K-12 Standards for Computer Science, Digital Literacy (Albany Times-Union)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) The New York Board of Regents on Monday adopted New York's first-ever K-12 learning standards for computer science and digital fluency. [alt]   [Maryland Grappling with Record of K-12 Cyber Vulnerabilities after Major Breach (Baltimore Sun)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) In the last six years, state audits routinely have identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities in most of Maryland's 24 school systems. [How One District Supports STEM during COVID (eSchool News)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Like every educator, Frank Pileiro, supervisor of technology at the Linwood Board of Education in South Jersey, has had to pivot. [alt]   [Tech Is Rewiring Education - and Our Children, Too (Opinion: The Globe and Mail--Canada)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) As the first term back comes to a close and the pandemic surges, more parents are once again facing the prospect of online learning. [ ] ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) What Are Districts' Most Urgent Professional Development Needs During COVID-19? As more school districts commit to using remote-only learning this fall - or to hybrid learning models - what kinds of professional development will their teachers and other staff need from companies? [View webinar.](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) [ ] Higher Education [ ] [ ] [alt]   [UNC at Chapel Hill Faculty Members Call for Spring Virtual Reopen (ABC11 Raleigh-Durham)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Nearly 70 faculty members with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are calling for a virtual reopening for the upcoming Spring 2021 semester. [alt]   [For Higher Ed Technology Leaders: What To Expect This Spring 2021 (Forbes)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Spring 2021 in higher education will be a tough semester. The months will involve change, anticipation and, likely, the straddling of mid- and post-pandemic worlds. [alt]   [How COVID-19 Changed the Face of Fundraising for Higher Ed (World Economic Forum)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) The pandemic will reshape how universities decide on what needs more external funding and resources. [alt]   [The Great Conflation of 2020: Higher Ed's Knot (Forbes)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) The pandemic of 2020 aimed a bright light on challenges already facing higher education. [alt]   [Mobile Devices Extend Students' Access and Engagement (EdTech Magazine)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Colleges expand the role of mobile devices - and related security solutions - to ease students' remote-learning experiences. [alt]   [Why Higher Education Is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals (Security Boulevard)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) If bad weather serves as an unpleasant reminder to fix a leaky roof, then COVID-19 has been something of a perfect storm for colleges and universities. [Congress Careens through Lame Duck with Flurry of Higher Ed Activity (NASFAA)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Congressional leaders are making a mad dash to wrap up business for the current session, negotiating at a breakneck pace to avert a government shutdown. Et Alia [ ] [ ] [Ed-Tech Boom Continues as IntellectoKids Raises $3M (TechCrunch)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) The rush to capitalize on the shift to online learning post-pandemic continues. [alt]   [Regardless of Ed. Secretary, Which Party Will Get Its Act Together on Education First? (The 74)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Joe Biden defeated an incumbent president by the largest margin since FDR in 1932, but could come in without a Democratic Senate majority. [Funding Our Future with Ed-Tech Entrepreneurship (MarketScale)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) On this episode of Voices of eLearning, host J.W. Marshall explores the types of funding currently available for EdTech entrepreneurs. [alt]   [Vista Buys Pluralsight in $3.5B Ed-Tech Deal (CFO)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) The coronavirus pandemic has "increased [private-equity] interest in companies whose offerings make it easier to reach employees and students remotely." [alt]   [Is 2020 Bringing More Ed-Tech Rounds, or Does It Just Feel That Way? (TechCrunch)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Venture capital activity is high at the moment, making it difficult to keep up with the influx of new rounds that are being announced. [alt]   [Indy Ed-Tech Firm Makes Two Quick Acquisitions (Indianapolis Business Journal)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) London-based Learning Technologies Group launched Open LMS in Indianapolis in March, and it's already acquired two competitors. [New Criteria for Judging SEL Providers Unveiled by Influential Group (Market Brief)](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) The research and policy organization, which evaluates social-emotional learning programs and products for evidence, has released new criteria for making those evaluations. Comings and Goings [ ] Jorge Navarro has been named the vice president of strategic relationships at Curriculum Associates. Navarro's most recent position was at assessment provider NWEA. Bergen Community College in New Jersey has named [Eric M. Friedman](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) as its new president. He was hired on a three-year contract, and will begin his tenure on Jan. 1, 2021. The Texarkana Independent School District, in Texas, has named[Doug Brubaker](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) as the district's superintendent of schools. Brubaker has most reently served as superintendent of schools in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The Harlem School District, a 6,300-student school system in Illinois, has hired [Michael Flanagan](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) as superintendent. He will replace Julie Morris, who is retiring. Heard of executives changing jobs within the education industry? Give us the details by writing to edbiz-transitions@educationweek.org. Jobs [ ] [ ] [Executive Account Manager](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Northwest Evaluation AssociationIn the Executive Account Manager role, you will work with a regional team, led by a Director of Partner Accounts , focused on reaching new Partners and maintain account management responsibility for these Partners (among others), once acquired. [Director](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) GEMS EducationThe Director of Schools provides operational leadership of the school, undertaking the responsibilities for strategic planning, curriculum development, quality assurance, personnel management, scheduling, extracurricular activities, budget management and facility operations. [Executive Director](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) Collaborative for Educational ServicesThe Executive Director of CES is the chief executive and is charged by state statutes, the Collaborative Agreement, and the Board of Directors with carrying out specific responsibilities, mainly in managing daily operations and services; recommending policies to the Board; managing internal and external relations; representing CES to other agencies, officials, and the public; and other duties. Did someone forward this to you? [Sign up](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r) to get edBiz Update in your own inbox. This message was intended for {EMAIL}. If you would like to op-out, please [click here](Tk6kNv2NH:m:1:3125711346:4A7263D5DE7925D47E97DF9D694919E0:r). Copyright © 2020 Education Week 6935 Arlington Road, Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814